Too late from Grub control?

It looks like grubs munched on my lawn this summer (if you dig a patch of
dirt there are quite a few of them).
So, I'm planning on over dressing my lawn and laying new seed.
Would it be helpful to lay grub control down first (to kill the grubs that
are there), dress it and lay seed, or just wait until next year and start
then.
Is it even too late to put grub control down (I live in coastal NH).
Thanks in advance for any advice.
-Kevin

It's obviously too late to use imidicloprid to prevent the problem, but it's
not too late to go after the existing grubs. I don't know what's approved
for use in your state, but a local gardening center will set you straight.
I would try to go after the grubs this fall and then worry about sorting the
lawn out next spring. Grubs are root-feeders and to kill them you have to
get the insecticide down to the rootzone of the grass plants. Make sure that
you water in the application right away, or better still lay it down in the
rain. If you topdress the lawn now it will make it that much tougher to get
the insecticide down to the rootzone.
Check the lawn a couple of weeks after the application and see how many
healthy grubs you have left. They are a tough insect to kill and normally a
kill rate of 75% is very good. If you still have a serious infestation you
will still have time to do a second application this fall.
Good luck.
Peter H

The grubs feed on the roots during the winter. The crane flys do thier mating
and birthing during the summer. Not sure of your area, but might be ok to put
down grub control now or it might be a waste of money. Contact your local
nursery.
Peter H wrote:

Grubs don't feed on roots during the winter. As temperatures
decrease, they go deeper into the soil and become inactive until
spring. As Peter pointed out, a general purpose insecticide like
diazinon can still be used now and is worthwhile, as the grubs are
still small and hence easier to kill.

While I'm not an entomologist, I'm not sure a cranefly qualifies as a
grub. The term grub is generally used to describe the larvae of
beetles, eg june bugs, japanese beetles, not flies. These are the
larvae that are causing the majority of the problems in lawns in most
of the US.
Here's a good link to an agricultural article describing grubs, their
lifecycle and affect on turf:
http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/crops/facts/97-023.htm
Note that the larvae description of being C shaped, 6 legs, etc. also
does not fit the cranefly larvae. They indicate that all the grubs
they describe go deep in the soil as the temps drop, then return to
feed as temps rise again in spring.

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